Optus has extended the rights to the English Premier League for another three seasons.
The new deal begins in August 2019 and includes exclusive live coverage on for every Premier League match, and full on-demand, replay and short form rights for all 380 matches between 2019 to 2022.
Optus paid $187 million over three years for the current rights deal and it is unclear how much they have paid for the renewal.
Optus CEO Allen Lew said the telco was delighted to secure the deal, which it has used to help drive new subscriptions for Optus post-paid mobile phone contracts and broadband.
“This shows our long-term commitment to provide exclusive premium content and our transition to be a multi-media entertainment provider,” Lew said.
“Fans have shown that they love what we are doing in bringing the best club competition in the world to Australia and we look forward to taking it to the next level over the next four years.”
Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore added: “We are very pleased that Optus has again chosen to invest in our rights in Australia and will exclusively broadcast the Premier League for the next four seasons.
“Optus is an excellent partner for the League and we look forward to continuing to work with them to make available the best possible Premier League content to fans across the country.”
Optus Sport available to consumers
The telco is also making Optus Sport available directly to consumers for $14.99 per month, providing access to the 2018 FIFA World Cup for everyone.
This means Optus Sports will be available to non-Optus customers and Optus custpmers who were previously not eligible.
It will be available via Google Play and the Apple App store.
“We’ve made sure every single match played in the 2018 FIFA World CupTM receives dedicated pre and post-game analysis and both live and on-demand viewing options,” Lew said.
“As a bonus for fans, Optus has assembled an expert team of analysts comprised of international and national talent who will be based in Russia and Sydney and will produce and deliver five hours of dedicated programming every match day during the tournament.”
These teams will be led by former Socceroo Mark Schwarzer and Optus Sport’s Richard Bayliss, and will provide a unique insight into events throughout the whole tournament.
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